Men like to barbeque and show off their skills and techniques in this form of cooking. What could be more ideal than getting to barbeque in a smoker built by you? One more reason to boast and show off the DIY skills as well in build your own smoker. Building your own smoker is a fun project and definitely cheaper than buying one. You can get most of the material from unwanted stuff and the remaining from Home Depot stores.
One of the best ways to build your own smoker is using a large barrel. It would be wise to choose a food grade barrel. The material of the inside coating of the barrel should not be toxic. If you can’t tell what it’s coated in, you can get sanding done on the inside of the barrel to remove any debris etc. Avoid lead and cadmium plated barrels as they might cause the metal to mix with food or give out toxic fumes at high temperatures. You can also create a burn inside the barrel, so that it burns away unwanted material, after which it can be cleaned and used.
You will need the following supplies for DIY i.e. build your own smoker:
Barrel
Ball Valve
Bushings, Washers
Nuts & Bolts
Steel Grate
Stand
Handles, preferably heat resistant
Drills
Depending on the size of the barrel, you can determine the length of the grate you will need to fix in the barrel. Using the barrel vertically might give less space for grilling, if you use the barrel horizontally there will be more space to fit the grate.
You can cut the barrel, using a grinder, in such a manner that it acts as a lid to the smoker as well. If you want to keep the barbeque outdoors, you can create a stand from rods & cement. Using wheels from old scrap wheel barrow or lawn mower can make the smoker quite handy and portable. You could lift off the barrel whenever required and store it away. Fix the barrel lid with brackets so that it does not fall inside the barrel. A lower rack can also be added to the barrel, as the coal can be placed here.
Finally you can add a nice heat resistant handle on the lid, which you can easily get from a hardware store. You should add air vents on both sides of the barrel and a temperature measuring device. Spray painting the barrel with some heat resistant paint will give it a very professional look, as well as prevents any chances of rust formation.
The best option is to use a 55 gallon drum, so that you get adequate space to set up the grates. You can look up on the internet for options, when building a smoker. You might need to get some calculations done for the tank chamber, chimney size, air inlet openings etc. based on the size of your smoker.
You can build your own smoker from other raw materials like flower pots, Old refrigerators, Coolers, Filing cabinets, wood stove and even trash cans.
Hope you liked the ideas on build your own smoker! Please share with your friends, colleagues and family members!
